Ponte Preta becomes latest Serie A team to side with Esporte Interativo

Ponte Preta has become the latest Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club to formally accept the offer submitted by sports broadcaster Esporte Interativo for the pay-television rights to the top division of Brazilian football.

In a statement released yesterday (Sunday) Ponte Preta did not disclose the length of its contract, only that it will commence from the 2019 Serie A season.

Ponte Preta president Vanderlei Pereira said a key factor behind the club’s decision to accept Esporte Interativo’s offer was its proposal over the sharing of revenue between teams. Esporte Interativo plans to split income more equitably than is currently the case.

Ponte Preta joins Coritiba, Internacional, Santos, Atlético Paranaense, Santa Cruz and Figueirense among the Série A clubs who have formally accept the offer submitted by Esporte Interativo.

Flamengo this month became the latest Série A club to formally accept the rival broadcast rights offer submitted by media company Globo. Globo will continue as Flamengo’s pay-television and free-to-air rights-holder for the six seasons from 2019 to 2024.

With the addition of Flamengo, Globo now has Brazil’s three most widely-supported clubs in its portfolio following earlier agreements with Sao Paulo and Corinthians. Globo currently has the pay-television and free-to-air Série A rights until the end of the 2018 season.